As every cash-strapped music lover knows, there's only so long you can get by with cranking up the speakers at home and pretending you're at a gig. Instead, lace up your boots and head out to one of these pubs, clubs or bars where rocking out or dancing won't take a huge chunk out of your bank account.

Cheap entertainment in Melbourne

This Fitzroy club has had a change of ownership recently and no longer plays almost exclusively Latin jazz and live Cuban music (don't worry, they didn't get rid of it completely). These days the late-night venue is known for its regular Midnight Mass events where the Disco Faith Choir revive the dancefloor with a funky combination of gospel and techno music. General admission is $5 with lots of regular music nights only $10.

This Prahran club has really nailed their niche club night themes. No nostalgic theme has been left unturned, from Avril Lavigne to Triple J anthems. There are also the occasional timely themed nights paying homage to the likes of Queen Bey to Odd Future, so there’s definitely something for all tastes. Make sure you dress on theme, there are often always prizes for best dressed and tickets are rarely over $10.

Entry is usually free every Thursday to Saturday at the Toff. Hear their resident DJs play sets late into the night – depending on who’s taking care of the decks you can expect dirty pop and hip hop classics to obscure ’70s disco. Check ahead to see who's playing, it's not unheard of to see artists as big as Tim Rogers on stage.

Upstairs at the Gaso is where you'll often find aspiring musicians launching their latest EP in what looks like someone's front room. But once a month the Gaso is home to Andrew McClelland's Finishing School where you can shake it to an eclectic mix of pop – everything from The Beatles to Lorde. Entry is $10.

If you want to feel like you’ve gone back in time to your high school formal, go to the Curtin on a Saturday night. The gold streamer curtains behind the stage always give performances a nostalgic feel, plus they consistently book ace young bands that often go on to bigger things. Tickets for gigs start at $10.

The Belleville's space if encompassed by period windows that illuminate the distressed plaster walls and look out over plane trees and the Chinatown arch. In the middle of the room a raised dais sits just waiting to be occupied by DJs and bands. A huge chunk of their live shows are free and the few that aren't won't cost you more than $15 to attend.

Sitting on top of Taxi Kitchen and Transport Public Bar, Transit Rooftop Bar is the upper crust in the Transport hotel sandwich. They also do free live music five nights a week. Climb up to the top floor to hear pianists, rock bands, reggae and DJs from Wednesday to Sunday every week. The views are pretty killer, too.

The Fyrefly boasts super luxe old-school digs that take you back to the golden ages of live music. Everything from jazz to R'n'B graces the stage here and you can even get dinner before the show. Shows at the Fyrefly do tend towards the more expensive end of cheap, but you can still score a show there for under $20.